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<title>The Speech by huniths-muse (sopaltenbass)</title>
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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28234125">The Speech</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/sopaltenbass/pseuds/huniths-muse'>huniths-muse (sopaltenbass)</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Heirs of Albion [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Merlin (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Arthur Knows About Merlin's Magic (Merlin), Court Sorcerer Merlin (Merlin), Fluff, M/M, Post Mpreg, Protective Arthur, merthurweek2020</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 16:46:52</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>424</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28234125</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/sopaltenbass/pseuds/huniths-muse</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Arthur is trying to write a speech. He really should let Merlin help him.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Heirs of Albion [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1838926</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>131</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The Speech</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Written as part of Merthur Week 2020</p><p>Day 1: “You’re an idiot.” “But you love me.” + Fluff</p><p> </p><p>This is written within my HoAverse but can be read apart from it, if you ignore the brief mention of my original child character. This fits between the last chapter and the epilogue of HoA: Destinies (which I still haven't posted here...sorry).</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Arthur huffed out an exasperated breath, drawing Merlin's attention from across their chambers.</p><p>"What's the matter?" he asked.</p><p>"The speech. It just doesn't sound right."</p><p>"But you haven't even said a word of it yet. How can it not sound right?" Merlin said, smirking when Arthur glowered at him.</p><p>"You know what I mean."</p><p>"You mean it doesn't sound like you?"</p><p>"Yes, exactly."</p><p>"Did you consider that it doesn't sound like a typical speech you give, exactly because you are the one writing it? You never wrote your own speeches. I wrote them for you."</p><p>"True. I can hardly ask you to do that now though," Arthur said dropping his quill, and running his fingers through his already unruly hair. Merlin frowned.</p><p>"Why not?"</p><p>"You're my betrothed. You're not my servant anymore, as I have to keep reminding you, apparently."</p><p>"And I'm your court sorcerer. I'm supposed to be your advisor on magical matters. This is supposed to be a speech welcoming the Druids to negotiations. Now would be the perfect time to actually let me help you."</p><p>Arthur stood up and approached Merlin where he was sitting in a chair by the hearth.</p><p>"You're right," he said, bending down to place a kiss on Merlin's cheek. "I don't want you to overexert yourself though. You're still recovering from your ordeal with Benjy. You should really be resting."</p><p>"Writing a speech is hardly taxing, Arthur. I can do it sitting right here. I could even dictate it to you. I wouldn't need to put a word to paper myself at all. Let me see what you have so far." Arthur retrieved the parchment from his desk and brought it over. Merlin read over his beginning and chuckled. "You're right, this doesn't sound like you, or, I suppose to be more accurate, like me, at all, and all you've managed to do is greet them."</p><p>"Can we fix it?"</p><p>"Of course we can," Merlin said, beaming at Arthur's use of the pronoun we. "Arthur, you're an idiot," he said fondly.</p><p>"But you love me," Arthur pointed out.</p><p>"I do. Gods help me, I do. Now let's get to work. Get your quill, and a fresh roll of parchment. We're starting over," Merlin said, crumpling Arthur's first attempt into a ball and tossing it into the flames.</p><p>"That bad, was it?"</p><p>"Like I said, you're an idiot, Arthur."</p><p>"I may be an idiot, but I'm your idiot," Arthur muttered as he did as Merlin asked and gathered parchment ink and quill to make a fresh start.</p>
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